Opinion: A Case Against $15/Hour Minimum Wage

Personally, I’m of the mindset that if you’re not satisfied with the pay you’re receiving, maybe it’s time to look for another job or do what’s necessary to position yourself for a better paying job. I know, as I worked two jobs early on in my career because I had a family to feed and I just did what I had to do to provide. I cannot agree that it is the responsibility of business owners to just arbitrarily increase wages because hourly workers want or think they deserve more pay.

Alternatively, like business owners have done, these workers should look to small business ownership themselves if they want to make more money. Maybe join forces with others and form partnerships to take the first step.

And, a question that I haven’t seen answered is how a raise in pay to $15 per hour affects those already earning $15 per hour. So, if someone’s pay is raised from $10 to $15, does that mean the worker earning $15 should be bumped to $22.50 or higher? Where does it stop?

In the end, this movement will cost jobs and shutter once successful businesses. This is the land of freedom. In part, that means individuals are free to accept or decline job offers and on the flip side, business owners should be free to offer jobs to whomever they believe is qualified for an open position and at the wage believed to make economical sense for the business, including the owner’s return on investment provided of course, it’s above federally mandated minimum wage. Clearly, unions don’t see it this way and ultimately, they’re truly only looking to add to their own coffers. To them, it really is not for the betterment of workers as much it is to strengthen the unions and its leadership.